Too Much

Why don't we talk about over population anymore?

I distinctly remeber it being a subject of much discussion through junior high school. We had to lessen our burden on the Earth, on our resources, protect nature. We did not want to become so excessively populated like China that we'd have to enforce laws that define how many children someone is allowed to have. We read books on the subject. We watched movies.

I never hear that discussion anymore.

George Carlin used to deadpan that the same people who are against abortion are for war. "Let's not kill them at birth. Let's save it for when they're 18," he would say usually to some gasps from the audience.

The only message I am getting these days is that if you have a huge amount of children you might get a TV deal out of it, possibly a book deal as well. The only thing I've learned from Jon and Kate Plus 8 is they're becoming extremely wealthy for misusing fertility drugs and having eight children.

Barb and I will not watch that show anymore, never.

We have the Duggers (however that is spelled) who I believe have 16 kids. Are you kidding me?

There's the Octomom who recently had eight and is now exploring book and TV deals. I liked when her Mom asked her how she was going to afford these eight childredn. The Octomom answered that she was going to write a book about her experiences. Her Mom laughed and said, "How are you going to have time to write a book and take care of eight kids?" I could see the look on the Octomom, "Oh yeah, the children."

I used to work with a gentleman who had 10 kids. His wife home schooled them all. He and his wife were very intelligent people and people of great faith. If anyone could handle this I imagined it would be them.

But that didn't mean I thought it was wise.

One day I couldn't help myself and I asked him simply, "Why?"

He smiled softly and asked me, "Jim, did you ever experience something you loved so much that you just had to do it again and again?"

I thought for a moment and then responded, "Well, yeah, I love ice cream but that doesn't mean I sit down and eat a gallon of it every night."